Izipho Ezifanele Inkosi
“Ababhula ngezinkanyezi bevela ezingxenyeni ezisempumalanga . . . bavula amagugu abo bamupha izipho, igolide nenhlaka yempepho nemure.”—Mathewu 2:1, 11.
YISIPHI isipho ongasinika umuntu obaluleke kakhulu? Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli ezinye izinongo zaziyigugu njengegolide—kangangokuba zazinganikwa inkosi njengesipho.a Yingakho ezinye zezipho ezimbili ababhula ngezinkanyezi abazinika “inkosi yamaJuda” zaziyizinongo ezinuka kamnandi.—Mathewu 2:1, 2, 11.
Amafutha eBhalsamu
IBhayibheli liphinde lithi lapho indlovukazi yaseSheba ivakashela uSolomoni, “yanika inkosi amathalenta egolide ayikhulu namashumi amabili, namafutha ebhalsamu amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; futhi ayengakaze abe khona amafutha ebhalsamu anjengalawo indlovukazi yaseSheba eyawanika iNkosi uSolomoni.”b (2 IziKronike 9:9) Amakhosi nawo ayeletha kuSolomoni amafutha ebhalsamu ukuze akhe ubuhlobo obuhle naye.—2 IziKronike 9:23, 24.
Kungani lezi zinongo neminye imikhiqizo eyenziwa ngazo zazibalulekile futhi zibiza kangaka ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli? Kungenxa yokuthi zazifeza indima ebalulekile ekwenzeni izinto eziningi, njengokwenza izinto zokuzimonyonga, imikhosi yenkolo, nokugcwatshwa kwabafileyo. (Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Ukusetshenziswa Kwezinongo Ngezikhathi ZeBhayibheli.”) Ngaphandle nje kokuthi zazifunwa kakhulu, lezi zinongo zazibiza ngoba kwakubiza ukuzithutha nokuzithengisa.
UKUDABULA OGWADULE LWASE-ARABIA
IKasiya
Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli, ezinye izitshalo okwenziwa ngazo izinongo zazimila eSigodini SaseJordani. Nokho ezinye izinongo, kwadingeka zithengwe kwamanye amazwe. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngemikhiqizo ehlukahlukene yezinongo. Phakathi kwazo kungabalwa isafroni, inhlaba, ibhalsamu, isinamoni, inhlaka yempepho nemure. Ngaphandle kwalezi zinongo, kwakunezinye izinongo zokudla ezazijwayelekile njengekhumini, iminti nedile.
Zazivelaphi izinongo ezazingajwayelekile? Inhlaba, ikasiya nesinamoni kwakutholakala emazweni namuhla abizwa ngokuthi iChina, iNdiya neSri Lanka. Izinongo ezinjengemure nenhlaka yempepho zazitholakala ezihlahleni nasemahlathini ayekhula ezindaweni eziwugwadule kusukela eningizimu ye-Arabia kuya eSomaliya e-Africa. Inadi noma isipikenadi, yayiwumkhiqizo obizayo waseNdiya otholakala ezintabeni zaseHimalaya.
ISafroni
Ukuze zifike kwa-Israyeli, lezi zinongo kwakumelwe zidabule e-Arabia. Incwadi ethi-The Book of Spices, ichaza ukuthi lokhu kwaba nengxenye ekutheni i-Arabia ibe “indawo ehamba phambili ekuthuthweni kwezinto phakathi kweMpumalanga neNtshonalanga. Amadolobha asendulo, izinqaba kanye nezindawo okwakuma kuzo izinqola okwakutholakala eNegev eningizimu Israyeli kwakuwuphawu lwendlela yabahwebi bezinongo. I-World Heritage Centre ye-UNESCO ithi lezi zindawo zaziphinde zibe “yimbangela yenzuzo enkulu kwezohwebo . . . kusuka eningizimu ye-Arabia kuya eMedithera.”
“Izinongo zazitholakala ngamaqoqo amancane, zibiza, abantu bezithenga ubuthaphuthaphu futhi abezentengiselwano bezithanda kakhulu.”—The Book of Spices
Izinqola ezazithwala lezi zinongo ezinuka kamnandi ngokuvamile zazihamba amakhilomitha acishe abe ngu-1,800 zidabula e-Arabia. (Jobe 6:19) IBhayibheli likhuluma ngenqola yabathengisi bakwa-Ishmayeli eyayithwele izinongo ezifana ‘nelabhidanu nebhalsamu namagxolo anenhlaka,’ isuka eGileyadi iya eGibhithe. (Genesise 37:25) Amadodana kaJakobe athengisa umfowabo uJosefa njengesigqila kulaba bahwebi.
“IMFIHLO OKWAPHELA ISIKHATHI ESIDE INGAZIWA”
IDile
Kwaphela amakhulu eminyaka ukuhwebelana ngezinongo kwenziwa ngokuyinhloko abathengisi base-Arabia. Kwaba yibo kuphela abathengisa izinongo zase-Asia ezinjengekasiya nesinamoni. Ukuze enze abaseMedithera bangaxhumani ngokuqondile nabaseMpumalanga, ama-Arabhu asakaza izinganekwane ezingamanga ezichaza ngezingozi eziba khona lapho kufunwa lezi zinongo. Incwadi ethi The Book of Spices ithi ulwazi ngendawo yangempela okwakutholakala kuyo lezi zinongo “kungenzeka lwaluyimfihlo okwaphela iminyaka ingaziwa.”
IKhumini
Yiziphi izinganekwane ezazixoxwa ama-Arabhu? UHerodotus, isazi-mlando esingumGreki sangekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., sachaza ngezinganekwane zezinyoni ezesabekayo ezakha izidleke ngamagxolo esinamoni emaweni aphezulu angafinyeleleki. Sabuye sachaza nokuthi ukuze athole lezi zinongo eziyigugu, amadoda afuna lezi zinongo ayebeka inyama eningi ngaphansi kwewa. Ngobugovu lezi zinyoni zazithatha inyama eningi ziyibeke ezidlekeni, bese lokho kubangela ukuba izidleke zisindwe ziwe. Ngokushesha la madoda ayewabutha la magxolo esinamoni awathengisele abathengisi. Lezi zinganekwane zagcwala yonke indawo. Ngakho, ngenxa “yobungozi okwakuthiwa buba khona lapho ifunwa, isinamoni yayidayiswa ngenani eliphezulu kakhulu,” ngokusho kwencwadi ethi The Book of Spices.
IMinti
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, yatholakala le mfihlo yama-Arabhu futhi iqhinga lawo alizange lisasebenza. Ngekhulu lokuqala B.C.E., i-Alexandria, eGibhithe, yaba ichweba nesikhungo esikhulu sezentengiselwano okudayiswa kuso izinongo. Lapho amatilosi esekwazi ukumelana neziphepho zase-Indian Ocean, imikhumbi yaseRoma yayisuka echwebeni laseGibhithe iye eNdiya. Ngenxa yalokho, izinongo okwakunzima ukuzithola zatholakala kalula futhi nenani lazo lehla.
Namuhla inani lezinongo alilingani nhlobo nelegolide. Kanti asisoze sabheka izinongo njengezipho ezifanele inkosi. Nokho, izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke ziyaqhubeka zisebenzisa izinongo ekwenzeni amakha nemithi, kanti futhi bayazisebenzisa nasekunandiseni ukudla. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi iphunga elimnandi lalezi zinongo lenza zithandwe kakhulu namuhla, njengoba nje kwakunjalo eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane edlule.
ISinamoni
a EBhayibhelini, amagama olimi lokuqala ahunyushwe ngokuthi “isinongo” noma “izinongo” ngokuvamile abhekisela ngokukhethekile emkhiqizweni yezitshalo enuka kamnandi hhayi ezinongweni ezifakwa ekudleni.
b “Amafutha ebhalsamu” abhekisela emafutheni anuka kamnandi noma enhlakeni etholakala ezihlahleni.